Saturday Spread: The Rise and Fall of Dramatic Action

The Rise and Fall of Dramatic Action: an original 8+ card Tarot spread created by @gothademic13, a professor of academic writing with a background in theatre.

Today’s spread is a guest post by my good friend @gothademic13, a professor of academic writing with a background in theatre.

A few years ago, I modeled a Tarot spread on the classic Rise and Fall of Dramatic Action. I have a background in Theatre and teach academic writing, so things like exposition and denouement were familiar. Also, I noticed that while most readings are about things like “love and money,” often they are focused on an answer; an answer that is basically the end result of something. Will we marry? Does he love me? Will I get the job?

Okay, fine, all valid. But what’s missing is…how do you get there?

In addition, not all readings are one-hit wonders on love and money, especially with a seasoned Querent, one who has built a rapport with a Reader and sees them on a regular basis. Sometimes, a reading can be about something like a project, a business venture, a production, or even something as long-range as a college career. The reading would then be looking at the entire journey, a broader overview, rather than a specific answer or result, the story as more of a whole.

This is where the rise and fall diagram becomes a spread.

The Spread Positions

1. The Cast: This card represents the characters at play. One for the Querent, and perhaps one or two for key players, or one that represents an entity, like a company or an audience at large.
2. The Exposition: This provides the basis, and the background information needed to “set the stage.” It gives the general energy surrounding the beginning of the story.
3. Rising Action: The cards that describe the journey toward the apex, the Climax. Perhaps they are things to be encountered on this first leg of the journey, or maybe cards for “how do I get there?
4. The Climax: Indicates what will happen at the highest point, when the money comes through, when the question is popped, or the event takes place, etc.
5. The Falling Action: What comes after…often overlooked in the single answer/result kind of Reading.
6. the Denouement: The literal resolution, how it ends. It might be the end of the story, or it could indicate that it is the end of a chapter in a larger story, etc.
7. The Overall: Is the Climax the “overall” card, like in the classic Celtic Cross? No. I throw a card in the middle for the overall essence or flavor of the situation.
8. Shadow Card: I also pull a Shadow Card as I do for every Reading, and I tailor its meaning to something most suitable to the situation being read; either unforeseen circumstances, something to watch out for, something you have overlooked — even a secret. The Shadow Card, and even a few more from the bottom of the deck, can tell the “backstory” of an issue, too. It has many possibilities, as does the Overall Card.

For Your Consideration…

One thing to watch for is too large a cast, or too many issues/topics. I try to keep it clean with this one, so if Querent’s story starts to feel “crowded,” it’s probably something that would need to be separated into individual Readings. A relationship with a business partner, and the outcome of the venture itself, might not be the same story, but two separate parts of the larger story. Or, the college career might need to become four Rise and Fall Readings, one for each year, etc.

I also limit the Rising Action to three cards max, and the Falling to two. Again, if it gets too “messy,” it probably means something needs its own Reading.

As a Reader, I consider myself a storyteller. Together, with the Querent, I weave a story, with the cards as guides, as indicators, of the likely outcome(s) of a situation and the current course of action. This spread allows the story to unfold in a more detailed and complete way, a view from a distance for clarity and understanding.

Originally published at https://www.pixel-tarot.com on April 8, 2023.